Living in the Shadow
by strawberryfinn
Summary: George is trying to find the way out of the shadow of his twin, and falls into depression. And Fred must find a way to save him. Before it's too late.


**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own _Harry Potter_ by J.K. Rowling. Fred and George Weasley do not belong to me. However, this story does.

I hope you enjoy it. It's my first _Harry Potter_ fic.

George is trying to find the way out of the shadow of his twin brother. He struggles desperately and falls into depression. And Fred must find a way to save him. Before it's too late.

* * *

George sometimes felt as though he was a shadow. And he didn't like it. Desperately, he tried to get out of the hidden nightmare, but it dragged him down more and more.

Sure, everything seemed alright from outside, but inside, he was falling apart. He was tired of being another shadow. He was tired of being a "Weasley twin." Why couldn't he be his own person?

How he longed to be Ron. Ron was stupid, but at least everybody knew it was him. Or Bill. Or Charlie. But never Percy.

Fred sensed something was wrong. He knew it actually. George was tired of being able to feel Fred's feelings too. Fred was worried. He could tell. The twin connection.

And though he loved Fred, more than anybody in the world, he also feared him. Why was he always there? He looked into the mirror and didn't see himself. He saw the surface of everybody else's understanding.

But he knew he was there. Falling apart inside. He looked deep down, and he saw George. Forgotten. Broken. Hurt. Pained.

He needed to escape.

He just didn't know how.

* * *

Fred knew there was something wrong with his twin. The way George threw him those dark glances, the way he didn't talk to him anymore.

But Fred didn't know what.

He needed to break the barrier, the silence that had somehow formed between them when he hadn't been paying attention.

He tried to reach out to his twin, but found himself pushed back, resisted.

He needed to find his brother, the person that George had once been.

But George had been replaced by a cruel and indifferent person. Fred could tell it hurt him to push away Fred, but he seemed determined in a desperate sort of way.

Fred had to save his brother. Somehow.

He's figure it out sometime.

But for now, his brother was hidden from him.

* * *

"Hey Fred, George!" Ginny yelped through their door. "Come on, you have to wake up! Mum's got breakfast downstairs."

George fell, tired, out of bed, rubbing his eyes. He got up slowly, and went to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, he looked at his reflection.

He was tired of it.

He wanted to get rid of it.

He wanted to be his own person.

Just how Ginny had referred to him right now. Not "Hey George" but "Fred, George."

Why did he always come after Fred? Maybe just because he was the younger one (I know that Fred is supposedly older, but it works better this way), and Fred always got the glory.

Fred always came first.

People thought the Weasley twins were nice. But it was never just George Weasley or Fred Weasley. It was Fred and George Weasley.

Fred was the nice one. He was always entertaining, enjoyable.

George pretended along. People thought that he was the same as Fred. The exact same. It didn't help that they were identical to the last freckle.

Nobody knew the difference.

Except perhaps Ron. But he didn't say anything. Ron was just mysterious and quiet in his own way.

Looking at his reflection, George suddenly felt a hatred. He wanted the face to go away. He wanted to get out of the shadow.

He brought his hand and smashed the mirror. Pieces of glass flew everywhere, littering the bathroom floor.

Stumbling down next to the sink, George put his head in his arms and sobbed desperately for escape. But it wouldn't come.

He accidentally slashed his arms and legs on the glass, and as the pain adjusted, he sat and cried as the world was ending. The tears slowly came down in small trickles, making rivulets on the floor, mingling with the slight blood. The blood overflowed from his arms, dripping slowly onto the floor.

He wanted to get out of the shadow.

He needed to.

But he couldn't.

Fred was always there. And he was there this time.

Just as George picked up a piece of glass that was hidden in his arm, a voice came. "George?" It was Fred.

* * *

So. what did you think?

Reviews welcome. Then I can continue.

If you could give me ideas that would be great too.

FiNnGrl


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